[Interest of extrahospital multidisciplinary unit of neuro-psycho-geriatric intervened in nursing home: Analysis of 288 interventions]. / Intérêt d'une unité mobile multidisciplinaire extra-hospitalière de neuro-psychogériatrie intervenant en EHPAD : analyse de 288 interventions.

INTRODUCTION: Geriatrics Mobile Units are a new organisation operating in nursing homes. Their mission is to propose globally oriented neuro-psychiatric and geriatric care. The purpose of the study is to assess their activity and impact over a 21-month period. METHOD: A prospective single center study of UMNPG's data including intervention characteristics, patient characteristics, recommendations and reassessment after intervention. The Neuropsychiatric Inventory Nursing Home version (NPI-NH) was measured during intervention and reassessed after 30 days (Student's t-test). RESULTS: From March 2014 to December 2015, UMNPG conducted 288 interventions mainly for medical advices (81%), clinical assessments (54%) and health care team support (46%). The average age was 84.6±7.3years, 73.3% of whom were women. The patients were dependent (62% of GIR 1 or 2) with dementia (60%) and under several medications (83.7%). The symptoms were mainly agitation/aggression (76.4%), anxiety (75%), depression (66.7%), irritability (60.4%), aberrant motor behaviour (55.9%) and delusions (48.6%). The main proposals of UMNPG were a change in treatment (79.5%), a health care team support (85.4%) and hospitalization (8.4%). The rate of follow-up on recommendation was 83% on the 15th day and 80% on the 30th day. The rate of avoided hospitalizations was 16%. The average NPI-NH decreased (on day 0 NPI=50±19.2; on day 30 NPI=33.9±19.6, p<0.001). CONCLUSION: UMNPG-EHPAD intervenes for frail elderly residents with multiple disorders in crisis situations. Medical recommendations help to support people in nursing homes and decrease NPI-NH. UMNPG-EHPAD is part of geriatric network strengthening the city/hospital connection.

[Elderly's suicide attempt]. / Tentative de suicide de la personne âgée.

Suicide attempts among the elderly (more than 65 years old) is a topic that is scarcely studied despite its prevalence. In recent years, researchers from all over the world started to study and publishing about this phenomenon. Several research studies tried to single out elderly people's suicide risk factors, focusing particularly on neurobiological alterations linked to the aging process. Some prevention techniques have already been developed and produced convincing results. Through this literature review, we set out to give both a general and summarized view on suicide and suicide attempts among the elderly.

La tentative de suicide des personnes âgées de 65 ans et plus est un sujet encore peu étudié. Ce n'est pourtant pas un fait rare. Depuis plusieurs années, divers groupes de chercheurs à travers le monde ont commencé à étudier et à publier sur le sujet. Plusieurs études tentent de cibler les facteurs de risque du suicide du senior, notamment au niveau d'altérations neurobiologiques liées à l'âge. Des techniques de préventions ont déjà été développées et montrent des résultats probants. Au travers de cette revue de littérature, nous avons voulu donner une vision globale et résumée du suicide et de la tentative de suicide des seniors.

[Geriatric psychiatry and dementia]. / Gérontopsychiatrie et démence.

Behavioural disorders linked to dementia are common. The intertwining of psychiatric and neurodegenerative pathologies means caregivers are faced with complex situations on a daily basis. The expertise of the geriatric psychiatry teams helps to guide the clinical reasoning and to find the best nursing approach in order to understand the symptom and support the patient.

[Innovative healthcare strategies in geriatric psychiatry and psychotherapy]. / Innovative Versorgungsstrategien in der Gerontopsychiatrie und -psychotherapie.

BACKGROUND: The development of efficacious treatment strategies in older adults with mental illnesses is necessary. The growing number of homebound patients and the incidence of physical comorbidities and impairment of activities of daily living are important factors for interdisciplinary treatment strategies in old age and there is a need for home-based services providing medical and psychosocial interventions. OBJECTIVE: Recent studies have provided information on home-based and collaborative treatment strategies in mentally ill elderly patients. METHODS: This article provides an overview on selected randomized controlled trials (RCT) conducted with mentally ill older adults. RESULTS: Studies have shown promising effects when applying stepped care interventions, collaborative care and assertive community treatment in old patients suffering from mental diseases when compared to usual care. Long-standing home-based mental health programs have been designed and successfully implemented showing improved identification, treatment and ongoing care of mental health problems. In-home tele-psychotherapy has been shown to be efficacious in homebound older adults with limited access to evidence-based psychotherapy and showed a sustained effect in one study. CONCLUSION: Collaborative care models, stepped care interventions in primary care settings and an enhanced inter-professional approach to patient care in old age psychiatry is necessary to improve detection, treatment and ongoing care. Tele-mental health services may become important parts of the provision of mental health services and the effectiveness revealed for in-home tele-health problem solving therapy in old age depression may be an approach to make psychotherapy available to a large number of underserved elderly patients with mental illness.

One day in the life of old age psychiatrists in the United Kingdom.

BACKGROUND: The provision of mental health care for older people will become increasingly important with rising demand related to global demographic changes. This project aimed to identify changes in work patterns of UK consultant old age psychiatrists between 1993 and 2012. METHOD: A link to an online questionnaire was circulated to consultant old age psychiatrists through the Faculty of Old Age Psychiatry, Royal College of Psychiatrists. RESULTS: In all 210 usable responses were received. On the survey day 71% of old age psychiatrists arrived at work before 9 am, and 40% left work after 6 pm. Over one-third (35%) worked for another hour or more at home. The range of activities was broader than previously reported. Administrative activity was undertaken by over 60% and acute ward work by only 26%. Few consultants reported time in long-stay care or day hospitals. Outpatient activity included Memory Clinics and Health Center Clinics. The main stressors reported by consultants were lack of resources and pressures from management-imposed, financially driven service changes. Relationships with people at work (including patients and their families) and outside work were the main identified support. CONCLUSIONS: Consultants' working hours have changed little since 1997, but the range and emphases of activities have changed. Changes in service organization are stressful and consultants are supported by relationships with colleagues and patients. Work patterns are changing in response to demands and constraints on the specialty. Research is needed into service design and work patterns, which can provide humane care in the current economic climate.

Program evaluation of a telepsychiatry service for older adults connecting a university-affiliated geriatric center to a rural psychogeriatric outreach service in Northwest Ontario, Canada.

BACKGROUND: Weekly telepsychiatry consultations have been provided since 2002 to six communities in Northwest Ontario. Staff from a single community psychogeriatric outreach service who work within these communities facilitate the referrals. METHODS: The program evaluation included (a) a chart review of the last 100 referrals, (b) analysis of patient and staff evaluations, (c) a survey mailed to all physicians in referring communities, and (d) three focus groups of staff working in local community agencies. RESULTS: The mean age at the time of consultation was 76.7 years. Sixty-eight percent of patients were females. The most frequent diagnoses were dementia (54%), depression (28%), and mild cognitive impairment (19%). The most frequent medication recommendations were antidepressants or cholinesterase inhibitors. Two hundred ninety-four patient assessments and case consultations were carried out between 2002 and 2009. Post-session evaluation surveys rated the provision of information, whether objectives were met, and overall usefulness of recommendations. The mean scores for these questions on a 5-point scale were between 4.6 and 4.85. Referring physicians were confident and satisfied with the recommendations made for their patients. All planned to continue to use telepsychiatry as a care option for the future. The focus groups added useful information about challenges and potential barriers to utilizing the program. CONCLUSIONS: The program was rated as being highly valued across all modalities of evaluation. Members of the referring team believe that access to a geriatric psychiatrist has broadened the team's knowledge base, its use of assessment tools, and increased their ability to better construct their patients' treatment plans.

Patient and carer participation in old age psychiatry in England. Part II: models of participation.

BACKGROUND: There are a number of models of patient and carer participation. Their usefulness and applicability to old age psychiatry is considered. METHODS: Models of participation are reviewed and related to examples of participation initiatives drawn from the author's work in the context of the National Health Service in the United Kingdom. RESULTS: Models of participation which emphasize collaboration and partnership are found to be useful. Simple interventions such as copying letters to patients and/or carers can lead to change in the balance of power between staff and patients/carers. Initiatives which draw on the experiences of patients and carers can facilitate organizational learning and development. Involving patients and carers in education offers a way to influence services and the staff working in them. CONCLUSION: Participation is better understood as a spectrum rather than a hierarchy. Old age psychiatry services would benefit from developing greater patient and carer participation at all levels.

Psychogeriatric care: building rural community capacity.

INTRODUCTION: Since the late 1980s, British Columbia (BC) Canada has been undergoing a process of regionalization of health services which includes decentralization and the demand for self-sufficiency with respect to caring for people with mental health issues. In BC, regionalization has meant the continued downsizing of its one large provincial psychiatric hospital Riverview, which has resulted in relocating patients from this hospital to cities and towns throughout BC, and the establishment and/or renovation of psychiatric tertiary-care facilities to treat local community members who experience mental ill health. In the context of the relocation of psychiatric tertiary care, communities in northern BC face the specific challenge of having to provide these specialized services in remote settings, not only for people transferred from Riverview, but also for the increasing number of people 'aging-in-place' in a region that has the fastest growth of older adults in BC. Little is known about the capacity of these remote communities to manage change, develop broader models of care, and integrate people with psychogeriatric mental health issues with residents at existing facilities. METHODS: This study employed a qualitative research design which involved field research in the rural community where people were transferred, and interviews and focus groups with key people involved in the transfer process. In the analysis of the data a gender-based lens was applied to clarify the differing needs and concerns of male and female patients and to attend to possible needs relating to culture and ethnicity. RESULTS: The findings illustrate persistent 'hinterland-metropolis' and 'front-line versus administrative staff' tensions, with respect to resource distribution and top-down governance, and demonstrate the need for more transparent and comprehensive planning by health authorities with respect to instituting mental health reforms in a northern context, as well as improved communication between administrative and front-line staff. The research suggests that it is important to attend to the differing needs of women and men in the context of psychogeriatric care, as well as to other factors such as ethnicity and culture, in order to provide appropriate care. Finally, building community capacity to deal with the complex needs of patients is severely hampered not only by facility and regional health authority staff turnover, but also the stresses inherent to working in northern communities which include geographic, social and economic challenges. CONCLUSION: Increased local engagement is a way to identify and address challenges related to relocating psychogeriatric care to northern and remote settings, and to enhance psychogeriatric care provision in similar locales. While provincial and regional level 'big picture' planning is a necessity, study participants highlighted the critical role of local perspective and expertise.

The rising demand for consultation-liaison psychiatry for older people: comparisons within Liverpool and the literature across time.

OBJECTIVES: To compare the rate of referrals of older people for consultation-liaison psychiatry services over time within Liverpool and with the literature. METHODS: All referrals to the liaison psychiatry service for older people in Liverpool between 1999 and 2004 were used to calculate referral rates and compared with data from the same hospital from 1981 to 1989 previously published. Data related to referral rates was extracted from other published studies to allow cross-national comparisons over time. RESULTS: Between 1999 and 2004 there were 2760 referrals to the Liverpool liaison psychiatry service for older people producing an average annual referral rate of 2.89%. This compares to a referral rate of 0.7% in 1981 and 1.34% in 1989. Comparison with studies from the UK, North America, Europe, Singapore and Taiwan shows an increasing trend across a 30 year period. The rate of referral increases with increasing age up to age 90. CONCLUSION: Trends indicate increasing rates of referral of older people to consultation-liaison psychiatry services with greater representation of the older old. Similar effects are likely to be experienced in all nations with an ageing population. Liaison psychiatry services will need professionals trained in old age psychiatry if the needs of this increasing elderly population are to be addressed.

[Behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia in a pilot psychogeriatric unit: management and outcomes]. / Expérience d'une unité pilote (unité cognitivocomportementale) spécialisée dans la prise en charge des symptômes comportementaux et psychologiques de la démence.

BACKGROUND: Behavioral and psychological symptoms in dementia (BPSD) are a major concern. The French government gave a consensual definition of reinforced intermediate-term care units for BPSD within the project "Plan Alzheimer 2008/2012". OBJECTIVE: Our aim was to report one of the first experiences of this unit in France. RESULTS: Fifty-two patients (38 females, 14 males) were included, mean age 82.07±7.84 (73-97). About 80% of patients were improved and there was a high discharge rate to home of about 30%. Night-time behaviors, aberrant motor behaviors and agitation were the most frequent symptoms. CONCLUSION: Our study confirms that demented elderly patients greatly benefit from a specific BPSD care unit in agreement with the objective of Plan Alzheimer 2008/2012.

Filling the void in geriatric mental health: the Geropsychiatric Nursing Collaborative as a model for change.

Mental health for older adults is a looming public health problem. Yet, geriatric mental health specialists are a scarce commodity, and few generalists have had formal education in either geriatrics or mental health. A multilevel collaboration using a diffusion of innovation model served to achieve change nationally in preparing entry-and advanced practice-level nurses to improve the mental health of older Americans. The John A. Hartford Foundation Geropsychiatric Nursing Collaborative at the American Academy of Nursing is the exemplar described here. The Geropsychiatric Nursing Collaborative developed and infused mental health competency enhancements for generalist and specialist nurses; identified and disseminated teaching-learning strategies to convey related key concepts using the POGOe (Portal of Geriatric Online Education) website; raised awareness through multiple presentations and publications; and notified deans of every school of nursing about these new resources. Fully embracing diffusion of innovation principles, the Geropsychiatric Nursing Collaborative is achieving change in this critical area of nursing practice.

Treatment of late-life mental disorders in primary care: we can do a better job.

Health care services provided to older adults today are not as effective as they should be. The quality of care for late-life mental disorders often falls short of desired standards. The growth of the elderly population makes it imperative for the health care system to address late-life mental disorders more effectively. Intervention strategies based in primary care settings show the most promise, but effectiveness will depend on solving the geriatric psychiatry workforce crisis. Collaborative care is one promising model for improving geriatric mental health care delivery in primary care. Diffusion of collaborative care into the health care system and integrating geriatric psychiatry into other models such as geriatric medical homes will require redesign of the organization and financing of primary care and psychiatry to overcome current barriers. Public policy should reflect the essential role of psychiatry in geriatrics and promote the integration of geriatric psychiatry with primary care.

Geropsychology content in clinical training programs: a comparison of Australian, Canadian and U.S. data.

BACKGROUND: There is a worldwide shortage of mental health professionals trained in the provision of mental health services to older adults. This shortage in many countries is most acutely felt in the discipline of psychology. Examining training programs in clinical psychology with respect to training content may shed light on ways to increase interest among students and improve practical experiences in working with older adults. METHODS: A large multinational survey of geropsychology content in university-based clinical and counselling psychology training programs was conducted in 2007 in the U.S.A., Australia, and Canada. Both clinical/counseling programs and internship/practicum placements were surveyed as to staffing, didactic content and training opportunities with respect to geropsychology. RESULTS: Survey response rates varied from 15% in the U.S.A. (n = 46), 70% in Australia (n = 25) to 91.5% in Canada (n = 22). The U.S.A. and Australia reported specialist concentrations in geropsychology within graduate clinical psychology training programs. More assessment and psychopathology courses in the three countries were cited as having ageing content than psychotherapy courses. Many non-specialist programs in all three countries offered course work in geropsychology, and many had staff who specialized in working clinically with an older population. Interest in expanding aging courses and placements was cited by several training sites. Recruiting staff and finding appropriate placement opportunities with older adult populations were cited as barriers to expanding geropsychology offerings. CONCLUSIONS: In light of our results, we conclude with a discussion of innovative means of engaging students with ageing content/populations, and suggestions for overcoming staffing and placement shortcomings.

[Quality of life and life project, two inseparable concepts?]. / Qualité de vie et projet de vie, deux concepts indissociables?

The construction of a life project within a long-stay unit for people living with chronic psychiatric disorders must take into account a dimension of care centred around the quality of life and the care provided "here and now". Here, the concept of care finds its full meaning. The example of a long-stay psychiatric unit.

Turnaround in an aged persons' mental health service in crisis: a case study of organisational renewal.

This case study demonstrates how leadership was harnessed to turn around a decline in the performance of an aged persons' mental health service - the Namarra Nursing Home at Caulfield General Medical Centre in Melbourne, Australia. In 2000 the nursing home faced a crisis of public confidence due to failings in the management of quality, clinical risk and human resources within the service. These problems reflected structural and operational shortcomings in the clinical directorate and wider organisation. In this article, we detail the process of turnaround from the perspective of senior executive managers with professional and operational responsibility for the service. This turnaround required attention to local clinical accountability and transformation of the mental health program from a collocated but operationally isolated service to one integrated within the governance structures of the auspicing organisation.